Historic local temperature mark poised to fall

Strong easterly winds will create hazardous marine conditions off the South Florida coast. There is also a high risk of rip currents. (Credit: NWS-Miami)

Another day, another warm temperature record.

The latest date for West Palm Beach’s first temperature below 60 degrees is Dec. 12, 1994, the National Weather Service in Miami reported on Facebook. “With today’s low temperature not expected to get anywhere near 60 degrees, it’s virtually assured that this record will be broken today,” forecasters said.

The last time the temperature dropped below 60 degrees at Palm Beach International Airport was on March 31.

Friday’s low at PBIA was 65 — 4 degrees above the normal low of 61. But the temperature bottomed out at only 70 in Palm Beach.

If this keeps up, Santa Claus will have to make his deliveries in a Range Rover.

The high at Palm Beach International Airport — and in Palm Beach — was 81; it was 83 in Miami and in Fort Lauderdale. The warmest unofficial temperature around South Florida was 89 degrees reported by an observer southwest of Kendall in Miami-Dade County.

The local forecast for all of next week is for highs near 80 and lows in the mid-70s. Official lows at PBIA may be a few degrees cooler. Next week’s record warm low temperatures are in the mid-70s, so lows could come close to record warm levels.

RIP CURRENTS: There’s a high risk of rip currents at area beaches from 2 p.m. today through Monday morning, the National Weather Service said. East winds could gust as high as 24 mph today and 29 mph on Sunday, forecasters said.

Winds are expected to swing around to the south on Monday and begin tapering off.